Overview

This single honours programme is studied over four years. The first two years, and the final year, are university-based; the third is spent at a university abroad.

This degree provides you with an excellent education across the range of international relations topics in a supportive and responsive learning environment that is enriched by research. You’ll gain an appreciation of the historical evolution of the international system, as well as engaging with key dilemmas and contestations dominating international politics today. We aim to ensure that you’ll be able to understand and use the main concepts, approaches and theories in the study of international relations and to analyse, interpret and evaluate world political events and issues. This degree will give you a solid grounding in understanding international issues together with the opportunity to specialise in a particular region or special subject, such as transnational crime or globalisation.

My year in Washington, DC, was a voluntary part of my degree in International Relations. I studied at American University and undertook an internship at Freedom House, one of the most influential human rights NGOs in the world. Choosing to take a year abroad was a life-changing experience, and one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Washington is a city dominated by politics, diplomacy and celebrity. The daily commute is frequently interrupted by a presidential motorcade, with traffic brought to a dramatic halt to allow limousines transporting President Obama to pass by. World Bank economists work hand-in-hand with ambassadors and diplomatic missions from almost every nation in the world, and George Clooney was arrested in front of my eyes protesting outside the Sudanese Embassy. One of the great networking capitals of the world, DC provided me with unrivalled opportunities to progress professionally and academically, and directly led to summer internships and summer schools in Tunisia and India. The year also inspired me to create my own NGO – the UK-Japan Foreign Policy Initiative (UKJFPI). With over 50 members of staff based in London, Washington DC, Tokyo, Brussels and Geneva, UKJFPI promotes foreign policy cooperation between the British and Japanese governments in democracy and human rights promotion.

I left DC with a heavy heart, but with much greater confidence, a deep understanding of the real-world practice of international relations and diplomacy, and friends for life.

Tom O’Bryan, BA International Relations .

Programme structure

The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.

The BA (Hons) International Relations with Study Abroad degree programme is made up of compulsory (core) and optional modules, which are worth 15 or 30 credits each. Full-time undergraduate students need to complete modules worth a total of 120 credits each year.

Depending on your programme you can also take up to 30 credits each year in another subject, for instance a language or business module. Study Abroad students normally take a language module in year 1 and 2.

Please note that modules offered are subject to change, depending on staff availability, timetabling, and demand.

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Entry requirements 2019

Typical offer

AAA-AAB; IB: 36-34; BTEC DDD

Additional selection criteria

We are looking for well-qualified students with a genuine interest in and enthusiasm for the subject.

In addition to the specific requirements listed above, we look for excellent A level* results/predictions and we may also take into account results up to and including GCSEs* and AS Levels* as part of our holistic assessment of an application.

*Equivalent qualifications will be considered. For more information about our equivalencies for specific qualifications please contact our Admissions Office.

Programmes with Study Abroad

Entry for programmes ‘with Study Abroad’ is offered on the basis that you will spend your time abroad at an institution where the teaching and examining is delivered in English. However, we also have partners that teach in French, Spanish and German. Should you wish to study at one of these institutions you will need to take modules through the Foreign Language Centre up to ‘Advanced’ standard in the appropriate language. In order to reach this standard before the year abroad, students usually need to have entered the University with the equivalent of a good GCSE or AS level (or higher) in that language.

Further information

For full and up-to-date information on applying to Exeter and entry requirements, including requirements for other types of qualification, please see the Applying section.

Learning and teaching

Your teaching will include lectures, tutorials and seminars, with a growing emphasis at each successive level on student-led learning.

We place considerable emphasis on teaching in small groups (15-20 students), which gives you ample opportunity to participate, as well as providing close contact between you and members of staff. In the third year much of your learning occurs in seminar groups led by a member of faculty on a specialised area of their research.

You’ll have a personal tutor who is available for advice and support throughout your studies.

Research-inspired teaching

Teaching that is inspired by research ensures lectures are up-to-date and relevant and you will benefit from access to the latest thinking, equipment and resources. All staff teach final year options which are linked to their own interests which include the study of Middle East politics, comparative politics, public policy and administration, climate change and sustainability, ethno-politics, terrorism and security studies, electoral and political behaviour, and political theory.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a variety of tasks, including essays, individual and small group presentations, projects and exams. You may also complete a dissertation and/or project work, including a work placement project. You must pass your first year modules in order to proceed but your performance at this level does not count towards your final degree classification.

Teaching is at the heart of university life and is something that I throw myself into with relish. I teach public policy and administration focused modules across all undergraduate years and was delighted to be shortlisted for the Best Lecturer Award in Exeter’s the Students’ Guild Teaching Awards 2010. My teaching is led both by my academic research and by my own experience of working in government. Real world policy dilemmas are used to explore how decision-makers experience and engage in politics bringing otherwise abstract theories to life. For example, the assessment in my second year course on policy analysis casts students in the role of policy advisers. By writing about a policy problem of their choice, and researching the various possible decisions that decision-makers in government could make, students change from being analysts who are one-step removed from the political process to policymakers who must win attention for their issue and design a policy response that is politically, economically and ethically credible. I use my experience from working in the civil service, and my own research on policy advice, to teach the analytical methods and research skills essential for ‘speaking truth to power’ (and knowing how to respond when power speaks back!).

Dr Claire Dunlop, Senior Lecturer in Politics.

Study abroad

A full year abroad, at one of our partner institutions, is generally taken in the third year of a four year degree programme. You can apply directly for the four-year 'with Study Abroad' programme, or transfer from another programme once you are at the University of Exeter. An opportunity to study for one semester at an overseas partner institution may also be available.

More details about study abroad options and destinations can be found on the College of Social Sciences and International Studies study abroad web pages.

Careers

Politics and international relations graduates from the University of Exeter are highly successful in obtaining graduate employment or moving on to further study. Whilst studying for your degree, you will develop a number of skills that are useful in professional and managerial careers. The ability to research and analyse information from a variety of sources, together with the written and verbal skills needed to present and discuss your opinions and conclusions, are attributes that many employers look for in graduates. Your understanding of complex political and cultural issues, often in continually changing environments, can also be relevant to both business and public sector appointments.

Many students from the department take part in the Exeter Award and the Exeter Leaders Award. These schemes encourage you to participate in employability related workshops, skills events, volunteering and employment which will contribute to your career decision-making skills and success in the employment market.

Graduate destinations

Exeter has an excellent reputation with graduate recruiters and our students and graduates compete very successfully in the employment market. Many employers target the University when recruiting new graduates.Below are a few examples* of initial jobs undertaken by Politics and International Relations graduates. Please note that, due to data protection, the job titles and organisations are listed independently and do not necessarily correspond.

Further study

Further study is a popular choice for a number of students following graduation. Below are a few examples* of further study undertaken by recent graduates of undergraduate programmes. Please note that, due to data protection, the subjects of study and institutions are listed independently and do not necessarily correspond.

Subject area

Institution

MA Crisis ManagementMSc Public PolicyMA EU PoliticsMA Globalisation and CommunicationsMA International Relations in the Middle EastMA Public Policy and Administration

University of LeicesterUniversity of ExeterKing's College, London University of BristolLondon

Find out more

Further information about the opportunities the University of Exeter offers to maximise our graduates’ employment prospects can be found on the CareerZone website.

* This information has been taken from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) Survey

Module details

Module title:

Introduction to Strategic Studies

Module credits:

15

This module will provide you with an introduction to Strategic Studies, which lies at the crossroads of inquiry within the subject areas of history, politics, economics, geography, and law. It focuses on the use of force and how force is employed to achieve political objectives. The study of war and warfare remains as important as ever; with ongoing violence in Ukraine, Syria, and the established global order being challenged in East Asia, it is essential to study the conceptual tools and history of strategic thinking and practice in this age of strategic uncertainty.

No pre-requisite or co-requisite modules are required in order to register for this module. It will provide you with a basic introduction to the fundamentals of strategic theory, as well as the dimensions in which strategy is practised, before taking you through the history of how strategy has been used through the ages. The module’s end point is to make you aware of the challenges and questions that strategy and the use of force faced when looking towards the end of the twentieth century, in order to possess a solid foundation in strategic thinking to progress on to more advanced modules offered by the Department of Politics and the Strategy & Security Institute